Albertine disparue: digitization at Belgium's National Library

KBR, Belgium's National Library or Royal Library Albert I, is just about to present to the public its portal for access to its digitized holdings. The project is called Belgica and can be accessed here, under Belgica.kbr.be. Exactly 40 years after the inauguration of the new library premises on Kunstberg/Mont des Arts in Brussels.

On Thursday 5 March 2009, at 18 pm, the Royal Library will highlight this evolution in an exhibition by invitation called Veertig jaar verzamelen. Van de Albertina tot Belgica. Quarante années d'acquisitions. De l'Albertine à Belgica (Forty Years of Collecting. From Albertina to Belgica) (Nassau Chapel).

In comparison to its vast holdings, these beginnings are modest. But the present contents of the portal do show the variety of the institution's holdings: from manuscripts to rare books, reference works and newspapers, music, coins and medals, over maps and plans, prints, etchings, and drawings. Each section lists a number of works that have been made available.

Under Reference works so far we find several of the library's own reference catalogues to the library's manuscripts. The manuscript holdings themselves number around 25,000-30,000. In Reference, the project aims to digitize Belgicana, works pertaining to Belgium and Belgian publications.

Belgica also establishes ties to a larger-scale digitization project for newspapers that was started in 2004 and that involves collaboration between a number of public institutions. Belgica has two searchable newspapers available today: L'Avenir de Luxembourg and L'Indépendance Belge. Other digitized newspapers can be accessed when visiting the library in person.

We hope to come back to this project and make it a first instalment in a series on digitization of rare books and manuscripts around the country today.